Fourth arrest made in crack cocaine case

March 10, 2013

Law enforcement officials capped off a major drug investigation spanning three counties Friday with the arrest of a fourth suspect in what police are describing as one of the largest crack cocaine busts in central West Virginia history.

The Pocahontas County Sheriffs Department arrested Jonathan Todd Brooks, 34, Friday in southern end of the county after an extended investigation that produced three other arrests and netted a pound-and-a-half of crack cocaine. The drugs have a street value of more than $48,000.

The initial investigation started in February after a domestic violence call in Pocahontas County.

"Several weeks ago while doing an investigation at Snowshoe into a domestic battery call, we found some cocaine, and that started the whole ball rolling," Pocahontas County Sheriff Dave Jonese said. "We tracked that back to these individuals."

Rausch was the first to be arrested, on March 1. His apprehension led to the arrest of John and Arica Boyles in Parsons on March 2 by the West Virginia State Police, Elkins detachment, who executed a search warrant on behalf of the Pocahontas County Sheriffs Department. During the Boyles' arrest, police discovered a pound-and-a-half of crack cocaine at their residence.

"It's pretty amazing," Jonese said. "We're being told this is the biggest bust ever for crack cocaine in this area. We also picked up four more ounces of crack cocaine at various other locations during the investigation."

All four suspects will be charged with felony delivery and distribution of a controlled substance.

Brooks is being held in the Southern Regional Jail on $100,000 bond. Both John and Arica Boyles are being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on $75,000 bond each. Rausch is being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on $100,000 bond.